Therapist in Clearwater, FL via Florida telehealth: same-week appointments with licensed clinicians and supervised graduate interns. Ascend Mind and Body doesn't have a physical office in Clearwater; we serve patients across Pinellas County via HIPAA-secure video from our six-clinician team. Sessions run $175 initial, $140 follow-up, or $75 with a supervised intern (sliding-scale rate). We treat anxiety, depression, trauma, PTSD, grief, and OCD using CBT, DBT, EMDR, IFS, and ERP. Call (863) 510-2624 or book online.
Online talk therapy for Clearwater residents
Telehealth therapy works. The research has been clear for the better part of a decade: for anxiety, depression, trauma reprocessing through EMDR, OCD via ERP, grief, and life transitions, video sessions produce outcomes comparable to in-person work. What changes is the access curve: no Memorial Causeway crawl at 4:30 PM, no parking off Cleveland Street, no waiting room. You sign in from home, from a parked car, or a quiet conference room. (For more on how our Florida telehealth therapy program works statewide, see the program page.)
Ascend doesn't have a Clearwater office, but our Clearwater patients see Ashley Spring and the rest of our talk-therapy team via HIPAA-secure telehealth from anywhere in Florida. Our nearest in-person office is in Wesley Chapel, about a 45-minute drive via the Courtney Campbell Causeway and SR-589 if you'd prefer to drive. Most Clearwater patients don't; once the video format clicks, the bridge traffic argument is over.
Sessions are 50 minutes for individual work, 60 minutes for couples or family. We use Zoom for Healthcare with a Business Associate Agreement in place, so the call is HIPAA-compliant by design. You'll receive a secure link by email or text 30 minutes before your appointment. No app to download, no portal to wrestle with.
Areas we serve in Clearwater and surrounding Pinellas: Downtown Clearwater (33755, 33756), Clearwater Beach (33767), Sand Key (33767), Belleair (33756), Belleair Bluffs (33770), Largo (33770, 33771, 33773, 33774), Dunedin (34698), Safety Harbor (34695), Palm Harbor (34683, 34684, 34685), Tarpon Springs (34689), Oldsmar (34677), and the rest of Pinellas County. If you're a Florida resident, your therapist can see you. The license attaches to the state.
Conditions we treat
Our Clearwater telehealth team covers the full breadth of outpatient therapy:
- Anxiety: generalized anxiety, social anxiety, panic disorder, health anxiety
- Depression: major depressive episodes, persistent low mood, postpartum depression, seasonal patterns
- Trauma and PTSD: childhood trauma, accidents, medical trauma, combat-related PTSD, complex trauma, including EMDR for trauma reprocessing
- Grief and loss: recent bereavement, anticipatory grief, complicated grief common after relocation, pet loss
- ADHD-related challenges: emotional dysregulation, executive function support, relationship strain
- OCD: Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), the gold-standard protocol
- Life transitions: divorce, job loss, relocation to Florida, retirement, identity changes after a move
- LGBTQIA+ affirming care: multiple providers on the team are trained in affirming therapy
- Faith-integrated counseling: through Ondina Waldron, for clients who want faith woven into the therapeutic process
- Couples and relationship work: Antonio Garland focuses on couples and family systems
Our providers
Ashley M. Spring, LCSW is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker focused on trauma, adoption, ADHD, and anxiety. She is bilingual English/Spanish and practices across all three Ascend locations via telehealth. Direct, goal-oriented, evidence-based: she runs structured between-session work for clients who want momentum.
Skyler Anderson, RMHCI works trauma, PTSD, and anxiety. As a Registered Mental Health Counselor Intern, Skyler practices under licensed supervision, which means a $75 sliding-scale rate for structured, supervised therapy.
Ondina G. Waldron, LMHC integrates faith for clients who want it. She specializes in trauma, family dynamics, and Christian counseling. If your faith is central and you want a therapist who can meet you there, she's the fit.
Antonio Garland, RMFTI is a Registered Marriage and Family Therapy Intern. He works with couples, family systems, and individual concerns within a relational framework, often the right fit for Clearwater couples seeking online couples counseling.
Kaylee Mills Brenneman, Ed.S, MEd, LMHC is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and Clinical Supervisor. She oversees the intern team and carries her own caseload (anxiety, depression, life transitions, clinical supervision). Kaylee accepts UnitedHealthcare and Medicare; the rest of the team is fee-for-service with superbills issued for out-of-network reimbursement.
What to expect at your first appointment
Before the visit. Complete the intake forms online. Pick the clinician whose profile fits your situation, or call (863) 510-2624 and we'll help you match. You'll receive a secure Zoom link by email and text the day of the session.
During your first session. About 50 minutes via secure video. Your therapist will ask what brought you in, how things are going day-to-day, what you've tried before, and what you'd like to be different in three or six months. You don't need a polished story. "I just feel disconnected since the move" is a perfectly fine starting point.
After the session. Schedule the next visit before you log off. Weekly is typical for the first 4-8 weeks. Once the work has traction, many clients move to every other week or monthly.
Insurance & pricing
In-network options
- Kaylee Brenneman accepts UnitedHealthcare and Medicare. [NEEDED: confirm current Florida-state in-network panels for Pinellas County telehealth; 14+ additional plans listed as in process]
- Other providers are fee-for-service with superbills issued for out-of-network reimbursement
Self-pay rates
- Initial session (licensed clinician): $175
- Follow-up (licensed clinician): $140
- Supervised intern session (sliding-scale): $75
Most PPO plans reimburse 50 to 80 percent for out-of-network mental health services. We provide superbills with diagnosis codes and CPT codes you submit directly to your insurer. The $75 intern rate is among the lowest supervised therapy options available to Clearwater residents.
FAQs about therapy in Clearwater
Why doesn't Ascend have a Clearwater office?
We focus on three physical locations (Wesley Chapel, Tampa-Carrollwood, and Lakeland) and serve the rest of Florida via telehealth. Building a fourth office in Clearwater to do the same therapy work we do over video would not improve outcomes; research is clear that telehealth therapy is comparable to in-person for most outpatient presentations. If you'd prefer in-person, our Wesley Chapel office is about 45 minutes via the Courtney Campbell Causeway.
How quickly can I get an appointment?
Most new patients schedule within one week. Same-day openings happen when there are cancellations. Call (863) 510-2624 in the morning to ask about same-day availability.
What if I need medication, not just therapy?
Anna Stouffer, PMHNP-BC, sees Florida patients via telehealth for medication evaluation and management. Many clients work with her concurrently with talk therapy. See our St. Pete psychiatry page for the same telehealth psychiatry option, available across all of Pinellas County.
Is telehealth therapy covered by my insurance?
Florida law requires private insurance plans to cover telehealth at parity with in-person services. Coverage depends on your specific plan. We provide superbills you can submit for out-of-network reimbursement on PPO plans, which typically cover 50 to 80 percent for mental health.
Can I do EMDR via telehealth?
Yes. EMDR has been adapted for telehealth and the protocol works over secure video. Bilateral stimulation is done with eye movements, audio tones, or self-tapping. Research supports telehealth EMDR for trauma reprocessing.
Do you serve Clearwater Beach and the barrier islands?
Yes. ZIP codes 33767 (Clearwater Beach, Sand Key), 33770 (Belleair Bluffs), and the rest of the coastal strip are served via telehealth. As long as you're physically located in Florida during the session, your therapist can see you.
Do you offer therapy in Spanish?
Yes. Ashley Spring is bilingual English/Spanish and provides therapy in either language. The fee structure is the same.